Justice Minister Yariv Levin responded Tuesday to the High Court's warning about personal liability for defying rulings, telling judges they must conduct soul-searching and that respect for the law applies to every citizen, including Supreme Court justices, according to N12.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin escalated his confrontation with the judiciary Tuesday, calling on High Court justices to “do soul-searching” and respect the law — a response to the court's warning that officials who defy rulings could face personal legal consequences. In a statement reported by N12, Levin said: “The time has come for the judges to do soul-searching. Respect for the law applies to every citizen, even a Supreme Court justice.” The remarks came at 10:21 Jerusalem, about an hour after Levin accused the court of “threatening to suppress dissent like dictators” (Tue 10:19 Jerusalem) and just two hours after the government formally told the court that justices themselves must rule according to the law or risk personal tort liability (Tue 08:47 Jerusalem).
The thread unfolded rapidly Tuesday morning. At 08:47 Jerusalem, the High Court justices issued their first formal response to the government's notification that it would not comply with a ruling on the Second Authority for Television and Radio, telling elected officials they are “obligated to act according to the law” (ynet). In a second exchange at the same minute, the justices explicitly warned that defiance could trigger tort liability — initially reported by N12’s Amit Segal. The government countered at 09:18 Jerusalem with its own formal warning that justices who fail to rule by law could face personal tort claims, as The Zioneer reported. By 10:01 Jerusalem, the court's warning was broadcast more broadly, and by 10:19 Jerusalem, Levin had slammed the court as “akin to dictators.” The draft statement at 10:21 Jerusalem extends that attack, shifting from accusation to a demand for judicial self-examination.
Background as The Zioneer has reported: Justice Minister Levin has repeatedly targeted the judiciary in recent weeks. On Sun Jun 14, 2026, a watchdog petitioned for contempt of court against Levin over his failure to publish district court judge candidates. On Jun 21, he attacked High Court President Isaac Amit; on Jun 29, he called for ending Prime Minister Netanyahu's trial via pardon or cancellation; on Jul 1, he said the court “enables and assists” the attorney general; and on Jul 6, Minister Eli Cohen asserted “everyone, including the court,” is subject to the law. The current thread marks the most direct confrontation yet over personal liability.
It remains unclear whether the government will specify which rulings it intends to defy or whether the High Court will issue further sanctions. The precise legal mechanism for tort liability against judges also has not been elaborated.
5 developments
- StrongSmotrich, Karai, Levin condemn High Court warning as 'extortion', 'yoke', call for judicial soul-searching
- StrongJustice Minister Levin accuses High Court justices of acting 'like dictators'
- StrongHigh Court Justices Warn: Defying Rulings May Lead to Personal Responsibility
- DevelopingJustice Minister Levin attacks Supreme Court as 'enabling' attorney general's actions
Source and signal
- Internal intake